Motor driven freewheel brake hub for bicycles



P 5, G. STEINLEIN E! m. I 2,171,810

MOTOR DRIVEN FREEIHEEL BRAKE HUB FOR BICYCLES Filed Feb. 8, 1958 4Sheets-Sheet 1 (I) q a Q H v LU Q Q" cc: 3 Q

Sept. 5, 1939. G. STEINLEIN El AL uowon mum: FREEVIHEEL BRAKE HUB FORmcxcms Filed Feb. -s 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 5, 1939. G. STEINLEIN in AL"DIOR DRIVEN FREE'IHEEL BRAKE HUB FOR BICYCLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledFeb. 8, 1938 Fig. 5.

S p 1939. G.STEINLEIN El AL 2,171,810

MOTOR DRIVEN FREEWHEEL BRAKE HUB FOR BICYCLES Filed Feb. 8, 1938 4Sheets-Sheet 4 a Inventors enema Sept. 5, 1939 e 2,l7 l,8l0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOBDRIVEN :1"

FOR BICYCLES Gustav Steinlein, Fonthaus, llainberg, near Schweinfurt,and Ludwig Bruckmoser, Schweinfurt, Germany Application February 8,1938, Serial No. 189,420

In Germany February 19, 1937 8 Claims. (01. 180-30) V This inventionrelates to a free-wheel brake of the engagement of this arm with theparts.to

hub for a bicycle driven .by a motor mounted in be interengaged; thedriving wheel thereof, the reacting torque of Fig. shows in plan amodified construction, which motor is transmitted to the frame by a inwhich the lever is at the same time construct- 5 resilient member.According to the invention the 4 ed as 'a chain-tensioning appliance; 5

brake reaction receiving lever or arm of the free- Fig. 6 illustratesdiagrammatically the device wheel brake hub serves at the same time asa. for resiliently receiving and transmitting the rereceiving andtransmitting member for the resilacting torques of the engine, andcorresponds iently reacting torque of the engine. approximately toFigure 2; and Apart from the simplification thereby attained Figs. 7, 8and 9 are diagrammatic representa- 10 in the construction, and from theadvantage of tions of auxiliary means of a progressively damp thesolution as regards space, this arrangement ing character, which may beadopted in combinahas the further advantage that when the rear tion withthe spring means. wheel has to be removed there are far fewer con- I Inthe axial section according to Figure 1 is nections to be released thanwith known devices represented'a known construction of a free-wheel 15of this nature. There is no risk of the strength hub with back-pedallingbrake, wherein there is of the stressed part of the frame or of thelever mounted upon the wheel axle H a driving body being endangered bythe two-fold stress acting in l2, which carries the chain-drivensprocket wheel opposite directions, because the torques produced l3 forthe pedal crank drive. a by the engine, in all the usual power-drivenve- The freewheel clutch consists of a coupling 20 hicles, are less thanthe torques produced in the sleeve I4, capable of being screwed upon thedrivbraking. Furthermore with this combination ing body, while the brakeis formed by a lengththere is also associated a saving in weight. wiseslit sleeve-like body l5, which can be ex The invention consists in thefeature that the panded by a slidable expan i B 16 n a sprung memberthat transmits the reacting stationary expanding body I| in known mannertorque from the engine or its casing to the frame shown and described inthe Winkler Patent No. is combined with a non-rotatably secured part of,066,504 i d January 1937- Th expanding the brake, while all the torquestaken up by this body "forms a stationary part of the back-pedalpart ofthe brake are transmitted by the usual ling brake and is non-rotatablyconnected to the brake arm to aframe tube, other protective means brakesleeve l5. This arrangement is located in 30 also being employed forthis purpose, if desired, the hub bush or sleeve I8, which is rotatableby and being attached for instance to the fork end means of ballbearings upon the driving body l2 of the vehicle. and the expanding bodyI1.

With this arrangement there may also be pro- Upon the hub bush I8 adish-shaped carrier BBAKEHUB 3 vided, besides t i i t reception f th I9is so mounted as to prevent relative rotation,

torques, a, damping of further forces, means beand in the outerperiphery of this carrier the ing interposed for instance which damp theosspokes of the wheel are inserted in apertures 25. cillations byfriction, cushioning or other repon the hub bush I8 is also rigidly e da sistanees. toothed wheel 2 I, which forms with other toothed 40 In theaccompanying drawings, which form a Wheels. and clutches, the C e-Speedgear, 40 t of this pecification by way of example which is onlypartially represented, and by means eral embodiments of the inventionare illustrated. whlch the dnve is transmitted from the P- Fig. 1 is ahorizontal axial sectional view of the F not to the hub bush The drivefree-wheel hub with brake, partially showing the transmltted from the Pbush to the relatively rotatable gear casing of the driving ng wheelthrough thebearmg member l8c,wh1ch engine mounted in the vehicle wheel;15 keyed at ab to Sam p i whlch 1s fixed Fig 2 is an inside View of thecover of the to the earner IQ of said driving wheel. The ear casing anda sectional elevation of the beargi g gear g fif casinwne and the wheelmmt1e"p0t,;3% its? 6 and Fig. 3 is an outside view of the arm for im-.

With such an arrangement the reaction torque mobmsing the f to beproiiected against of the drive must be transmitted from the engine19911911, in its Position in 1619111011 t0 the frame block to thevehicle frame. For this purpose an fork and to the hub; arm 26 extendsfrom a bell-shaped body 25, rigid 6 Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partiallyin section, 1y secured upon the bearing and expanding body in Figures -1and 2. In this way the oscillations of the engine block and the reactiontorque of the drive are transmitted by the springs 21, the arm 26 andthe body 25 to the body II, which in its turn. is non-rotatablyconnected with the frame. The connection of the bearing cone with theframe, in the embodiment illustrated by way of example, is establishedbypin-like or prismatic projections 28 projecting outwards from thebearing cone l1, upon which projections the bell-shaped body 25 ismounted by means of a slot 29, and held fast by a nut 30 on the bearingcone, while the non-rotatable securing of the bearing cone to thevehicle frame is efiected by" the pin-like projections 28 extendingthrough the slot in the rear fork end 34 into a slot in a powertransmitting member in the form of an arm 3|, which transmits the torquefurther. The arm 3| is firmly looked upon the axle II by an axle nut 32,along with the other members. Its free end embraces a frame tube R witha double claw 33.

This fastening arrangement presents advantages in various respects. Thelever 3|, with this arrangement, has to transmit not only the brakingtorque in back-pedalling but also the reaction torque of the drive tothe vehicle frame R.

0n grounds of space it is often not possible to lodge this leverdirectly on the bearing cone inside the rear fork. This new arrangementtherefore provides for locating the lever outside the rear fork, andemploys for this purpose strong projections 28, which pass through allparts to be interconnected with the bearing cone. With this arrangementit is very simple to take out the rear wheel, because after looseningthe axle nuts and removing the arm 3|; the axle admits of being simplydrawn out of the slots in the ends of the fork.

This pin connection may also be constructed in various other ways, forinstance instead of the longitudinal slot in the head of the lever 3|,suitable perforations may be made for the projections 28 and the axle H,as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Furthermore, for the better securingof the bell 25 upon the bearing cone 11, the usual axle nut30 may serve,together with a locking disc or washer, and the bell, as indicated bydotted lines in Figure 2, may besides be secured to the bearing cone byscrews 35.

Figure 5 also illustrates the lengthening of the head of the lever 3| toenable this part to be used as a chain-tensioning appliance. In thisconstruction, the end of the extension 3la of the j lever 3| is oifsetat right angles at Slb, and the screw bolt 3lc is threaded therethroughand bears against the head R of the frame R. This screw bolt 3| 0 may besecured in position by a locking nut 3ld. By-means of this arrangement,the axle ll carrying the chain-driven sprocket wheel l3 may be moved inthe longitudinal slot of the frame head R, thereby tensioning orloosening the driving chain.

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically the arrangement of the engine inrelation to the hub and to the spring device according to Figure 2.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the employment of an auxiliary means of aprogressively damping character for promoting resilient transmission.

Figure 7 illustrates a frictional appliance between the sprung lever 26and the gear casing 22. Here, in addition to the two springs 21, thereis provided at the end of the lever 26 a yoke 40,

l1, into the gear casing, where it is supported in' :both directions ofrotation by springs 21, as shown which acts against a friction surface4| pressed resiliently against'it. Figure '8 represents the springdevice 21 in combination with anair cushion device 42 having a plungerconnected to the lever 26, said device being located in the casing 22with said spring device. This device 42 acts as a shock absorber toassist the springs 21 and may be of the liquid type instead of the airtype. Figure 9 shows a device similar to that of Figure '7, in which aresiliently supported friction body 43 arranged upon the side surface ofthe lever 26 bears on a recessed place in the wall mounted in thedriving wheel of a bicycle, the

said free-wheel brake hub being arranged upon the driving-wheel axle, incombination with a casing receiving the driving motor with a powertransmitting gear and the said free-wheel brake hub and being relativelyrotatably supported on the hub shell thereof, a brake part -stationarilyfixed on the wheel axle and capable of sustaining the reaction stress ofthe brake, means located in said casing and adapted to resilientlytransmit the reacting torque of the motor and shocks in either directionon said stationary brake part, and a member respectively engaged withthe said stationary brake part and the bicycle frame, thus at the sametime transmitting all stresses from the stationary brake part to thevehicle frame.

2. A driving wheel of a motor bicycle comprising a free-wheel brake hubmounted on the axle thereof, in combination with a casing relativelyrotatable on the hub shell and enclosing the motor, means for drivingand braking the hub shell throughthe pedals, and a gear transmitting thedrive from the motor to the hub shell, a brake body stationarily fixedon the wheel axle and receiving the reaction force of the brake effect,a member rigidly attached to said brake body and extending into theinterior of said casing, resilient means located in the casing betweensaid member and abutments of the casing and adapted to transmit thereactive torque of the motor onto said member, and an arm likewiserigidly attached to the said brake body and devised to transmit both thereaction stress of the brake and the torque reaction of the motor to aframe element.

3. A free-wheel brake hub interconnected with a motor mounted in thedriving wheel of a bicycle, the said free-wheel brakehub being arrangedupon the driving-wheel axle, the combination with a casing receiving thedriving motor with a power transmitting gear and the said free-wheelbrake hub and being rotatably supported on the hub shell thereof, abrake part stationarily fixed on the wheel axle and capable ofsustaining the reaction stress of the brake, means adapted toresiliently transmit the reactive torque of the motor to the saidstationary brake part, a member respectively engaged with the saidstationary brake part and the vehicle frame, thus at the same timetransmitting all torque stresses from said stationary brake part to thevehicle frame, and

chain-tensioning means provided upon said member. 1

4. A free-wheel brake hub driven by a motor mounted in the driving wheelof a bicycle, in combination with a casing receiving the motor and thesaid free-wheel brake hub, a stationary part of the brake receiving thereaction of the braking effect, principal means adapted to resilientlytransmit the reactive torque of the motor to the said stationary part ofthe brake, auxiliary means of a progressively damping character forpromoting resilience additionally to the operation of said principalmeans, and a power transmitting member respectively engaged with thevehicle frame and the said stationary brake part, all stresses thusbeing transmitted from said stationary part to the bicycle frame by acommon element.

5. A free-wheel brake hub driven by a motor the wheel axle and capableof sustaining the reaction stress of the brake, principal means adaptedto resiliently transmit the reactive torque of the motor to the saidstationary brake part, auxiliary means of a progressively dampingcharacter additionally co-operating with the said principal resilientmeans, both means being located in said casing, and a memberrespectively engaged with the said stationary brake part and the vehicleframe, thus at the same time transmitting all torque stresses from saidstationary brake part to the vehicle frame.

6. In a bicycle having a vehicle frame, and a motor for driving saidbicycle, a free-wheel brake hub mounted on the driving wheel of thebicycle, and having a stationary brake part receiving the brakingreaction upon application of the brakes, means for resilientlytransmitting the reactive 7. In a bicycle having a vehicle frame, and amotor for driving said bicycle in combination, a

free-wheel brake hub mounted on the driving wheel of the bicycle,andhaving a stationary brake part receiving the brake reactive stressesupon application of the brakes, a casing enclosing said motor and saidfree-wheel brake hub, and receiving the reactive torque stresses of themotor, means for resiliently transmitting the reactive torque stressesof the motor from said casing to said stationary brake part, and a powertransmitting member between said stationary brake part and said vehicleframe, and separate from said motor, for transmitting the brake reactivestresses and the motor torque reactive stresses from said stationarypart to said vehicle frame.

8. In a bicycle having a vehicle frame, and a motor for driving saidbicycle in combination, a free-wheel brake hub mounted on the drivingwheel of the bicycle, and having a stationary brake part receiving thebrake reactive stresses upon application of the brakes, a casingenclosing said motor and said free-wheel brake hub, and supported forrotation about the axis of said freewheel brake hub, said casingreceiving the reactive torque stresses of the motor, means forresiliently transmitting the reactive torque stresses of the motor fromsaid casing to said stationary brake part, and a power transmittingmember between said stationary brake part and said vehicle frame andseparate from said motor, for transmitting the brake reactive stressesand the motor torque reactive stresses from said stationary part to saidvehicle frame.

' GUSTAV S'I'EINLEIN.

LUDWIG BRUCKMOSER.

